The owners of one of London’s best known and most historic theatres are suing builders for £200,000 after the ceiling dramatically collapsed during a show and 1,000 people had to be evacuated.
The case revolves around the Piccadilly Theatre in London’s West End, where several audience members were injured when the ceiling partially collapsed during building works.
The accident happened during a performance of the classic Arthur Miller play Death of a Salesman – when dripping water made a large part of the ceiling over the Grand Circle fall down.
The entire audience of over 1,000 people were evacuated from the theatre in Denman Street just off Shaftesbury Avenue and four people were taken to hospital in the incident four years ago.
The play starred Wendell Pierce, who shot to fame as Detective Bunk Moreland in The Wire and later played Meghan Markle’s on-screen father as Robert Zane in legal drama, Suits.
Part of the ceiling that came down at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, could be seen (above) during a production of Death of A Salesman
The auditorium had to be emptied sending the crowd rushing outside the Piccadilly Theatre (pictured) after it was evacuated when part of the roof collapsed
Now owners Ambassadors Theatre Group are suing main contractor Rise Contracts, structural engineer Alan Conisbee & Associates, and project manager Plann, accusing them of negligence leading to the accident
Pierce, who played Willy Loman in the show, apologised later that evening to those who had been forced to leave the performance as they huddled outside in the street.
The theatre, built in the 1920s, has featured appearances by everyone from Henry Fonda to The Spice GIrls after it was chosen as the location for the world premiere of the Spice Girl musical Viva Forever.
Now owners Ambassadors Theatre Group are suing main contractor Rise Contracts, structural engineer Alan Conisbee & Associates, and project manager Plann, accusing them of negligence leading to the accident.
They were carrying out a scheme to replace glass panels in the main auditorium roof, and on the morning of 6 November 2019 water was seen to be dripping through the theatre ceiling in various places, a High Court claim says.
Rise and the structural engineers cleared up the water with a wet-vac and a bucket, and capped a vent pipe to stop the flow of water, the claim says. The bucket was taken away at lunchtime and the ceiling collapsed at about 8pm, throwing wet plasterboard, broken glass and a steel reinforcing bar onto the floor below.
Investigations showed that numerous glass blocks in the roof lights above had been broken by temporary fixings used during formwork for the construction of a third plinth, it is claimed.
Water dripped through the penetrations, making the ceiling wet, heavier, and weakened, so that it fell onto the audience, the court will hear.
The Ambassadors Theatre Group accuses the companies of negligence and breach of contract by using rooftop supports which penetrated the roof lights which had been asphalted over, when it was unsafe, and then failed to prevent the collapse after discovering that water had leaked through.
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Screams were heard from audience members in the Upper Circle when a chunk of the theatre’s ceiling (pictured) fell onto the crowd
US actor and star of Death Of A Salesman, Wendell Pierce, apologised to audience members outside the Piccadilly Theatre after the performance was cancelled when a piece of the ceiling collapsed
Outside the 95-year-old theatre on the night of the accident, Pierce apologised to the audience and asked them to come back to see the production at a later date.
The US actor, who also starred in Selma, joked ‘I did not mean for it to go like this.’
He then added: ‘I would like to thank you all for one, safely evacuating and I apologise and we’re glad that no one was hurt and I ask you all to come back and see our production.
‘We’re so honoured that you came tonight and we’re so sorry that this unfortunately happened.’
The London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade with three fire engines as well as the Metropolitan Police were called and road closures were put in place around the theatre, Scotland Yard said.
Witness Martin George, who was sitting in the Grand Circle, said there were screams coming from the audience as part of the ceiling came crashing down.
The then 41-year-old said: ‘About 10 minutes into the performance you could hear this slight dripping sound in the [Grand] circle and people were looking around, wondering what was happening, but the play carried on.
‘As the minutes passed, the dripping became more frequent and it sounded like more water was coming through the ceiling, causing a few people to get up and move.
Actor Wendell Pierce bowing at the curtain call during the press night performance of Death Of A Salesman, which passed off without the ceiling collapsing
Emergency services rushed to the scene in central London to close off the road outside the popular venue
‘The sound eventually got so loud that we stood up and started to leave, as we were wondering what was going to happen.
‘Then, as we stood up, this huge chunk of ceiling, about three to four metres across, crashed down.
‘There were people screaming at that point and everyone got up and streamed down the stairs.’
The defendants have yet to respond to the claim.
